>> Thursday, August 7, 2008

Today's Readings:

First Reading: Jeremiah 31:31-34Psalm 51Gospel: Matthew 16:13-23

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ. From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to you!" Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."

>> Wednesday, August 6, 2008

After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters?one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!" When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. "Get up," he said. "Don't be afraid." When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus. As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, "Don't tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."

"And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light." Matthew 17:2

Cloud Nine. Emotional high. Heaven!

Have you ever gone mountain climbing? What was the best part of the climb? It is when you reach the summit, right? Nothing compares to the experience of beholding God's majestic creation at a mountain's peak. Indeed being close to nature gives us a sense of closeness to Him who created us and everything that our eyes can see.

It is at the summit where we can get a 360-degree view of the beauty and majesty of God's creation. It is at the summit and at the mountain trail where we get to better appreciate His creation - the magnificence of a rushing waterfall, the earth glistening from the morning mist, the splendor of a soaring eagle, the diverse and unusual colors of huge dragonflies, the dark evenings broken by the light of thousands of fireflies and billions of stars, the clear blue skies disrupted by intermittent rains, and the pure, fresh mountain breeze that we take in.

In several of my prayer times, I have come to experience these mountaintop encounters wherein I felt God's presence so strongly that I just want to remain in the moment. There are times when I feel God embracing me that I can't help myself but cry because unworthy as I am, He deemed me worthy to feel His presence. It is moments such as these that urge me to continue to take up my own cross and face the many challenges and trials of life. It is these encounters that allowed me to persevere until the moment comes when I rejoin my God in His kingdom.

I would like to offer this song, My Heart's Thanksgiving, as a prayer to Him who has always been faithful to me.

(Ref)As i sing my heart's thanksgiving, and my eyes look heavenward,How the stars You flung like jewels, bid Your welcome, shine Your light.As I marvel at Your moonrise, I'm in awe, yet i ask,"What am I that you should love me, and hold me as Your dearest love of all?"

You crown me with honor and glory, and You set all things under my feet.You have made me a little less than angels, even if I fly often away. (ref)

>> Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, "Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don't wash their hands before they eat!" Jesus called the crowd to him and said, "Listen and understand. What goes into a man's mouth does not make him 'unclean,' but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him 'unclean.' " Then the disciples came to him and asked, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?" He replied, "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. Leave them; they are blind guides (of the blind). If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit."

"...Hear and understand. It is not what enters one's mouth that defiles that person; but what comes out of the mouth is what defiles one." Matthew 15:10-11

I have always believed that whatever words you utter can never be taken back. Speech, and words for that matter, is a very powerful thing. It could make or break a person. It could build up or destroy relationships. It could earn you respect or it could betray someone's trust. The quality of the words that we speak are but a reflection of the states of our hearts. Whenever we harbor ill feelings in our hearts, they inevitably come out of our mouths. Whenever we feel hatred and bitterness, chances are great that every word, phrase or statement we utter is punctuated by a curse.

Observe that whenever you feel angry, frustrated, hateful and bitter, your words are almost always punctuated with a curse. Whenever you are angry, and somebody innocently asks you something, you lash out at them in anger even if they are not the ones who we are angry about. And most of the time, the hurtful words that we speak and even the lies can never be taken back. Even if we didn't mean to say those words, (they were only brought about by our own anger), the hurt has been inflicted and the damage done.

But observe a person who is happy and at peace with the world and with himself -- You will always hear words of encouragement and appreciation from these persons. Truly, the state of a person's heart will definitely affect the words that he speaks.

That is why, when we deal with others, let us be careful with the words that we speak. I am not saying that we must pretend with our words - this will only make matters worse. We must just be honest with our words and with ourselves. Because even if we keep a nice and happy front, this will never last if we have a deceitful heart.

>> Monday, August 4, 2008

I really admire people who have heard God's call and responded to it. One such person is Jeremy Newton. Young as he is, he is already sure of what he wants to become - and that is to serve the Lord by being a pastor and spreading the Good News through web technology and music. Right now, he is a youth pastor but wants to continue on being a pastor later on.

In order for Jeremy to become a pastor, he must first enter the seminary, have a formal education on The Bible and Theology and get himself accredited. This would entail having to go to school to get his Bachelor of Arts degree in Bible and Theology. The only thing that's keeping him from enrolling in this course is finances. This is why Jeremy has thought of a fundraiser to raise some $12,672 or so to get started.

Let us all help him achieve his dream of continuing to serve the Lord in a more concrete way... you can help him in any way you know how: help spread the word by writing a post about his fundraiser or donate any amount that you are willing to give in the name of God.

Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." "Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." "Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God." When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret. And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched him were healed.

"You of little faith, why did you doubt?" Matthew 14:31

Today's reading reminded me of how fragile human beings can be and how weak our faith in God is. It is like we are declaring to the whole world that we believe in God but lack a faithful heart. When we are swamped with problems and can't seem to solve them, we would often wonder why we are suffering and ask, "Why me, Lord?" Little do we know that even if we face these problems, it is God who holds us up and encourages us to go on.

Way back in college, I volunteered for the Social Involvement Coordinating Office (SICO). Part of our service to the university community is to prepare various areas in the basic sector for student exposure. Most of the communities that we go to are new to us, remote and almost inaccessible. Everytime we conduct a site investigation and make an area profile, there is always that fear of the unknown. I always get nervous and have tons of what-if questions going on in my mind. Questions such as "what is they won't receive us?, what if there are rebels in the area and would suspect us for government spies?, what if the people in the area were unfriendly?, what if we got stranded on the way?, what if..." But whenever we go to these areas, we find ourselves welcomed as if we were long lost relatives. Even though we are strangers, we find these communities welcoming and trusting us. And I would be ashamed of myself for ever thinking bad thoughts and for having doubts about the community. Truly, God has protected me and my companions in all those countless area preparations and exposures.

Looking back into those days, I am reassured that I will always be safe and in good hands with God. Should there come a time in my life when fear sets in, I will never lose my faith knowing that God will constantly guide and protect me. It is our daily pray that He will continue to protect us from any harm, evil and sickness. This, and the trust and faith in the Lord, will get us through the day. There is no need to fear because with God, we are in good hands.

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Words that Inspire

God`s word enriches our lives. The reflections you will read in this blog are my responses to God`s message. With every reflection and prayer that I post is the hope that other readers may be touched by God`s love. Remember, God looks not on our sins but on the state of our hearts.